Synopsis: The Wearle came to Erth to find out what happened to their previous group, who never returned. Gabrial, a young blue dragon, is desperate to prove his worth. But the dragons aren’t alone in the mountains.

Down beyond the scorch line, Ren, a young hom boy, is fascinated by the ‘skalers’. But when he creeps into their territory, he sneaks out again with a wriggling baby wearling…

Dragon and boy’s fates combine in this stunning new fantasy series.

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The world of the Erth Dragons is introduced to young readers in this first book of a new series by New York Times best-selling author, Chris D’Lacey. Set in a fantasy world that appears to mirror an early version of the known Earth, The Erth Dragons opens with the wyng of dragons preparing to find out who will be a companion to the laying mother, Grystina. Gabrial, a young blue dragon, is preparing for his turn to prove himself, but when tragedy strikes the wyng, things are altered for everyone, dragon and the Hom, the early human race that lives nearby, and danger begins to seep into the world as they collide.

Aimed at ages nine years and up, The Erth Dragons: The Wearle presents dragon and human characters who are both good and bad, and in between. Gabrial and Ren, the Hom boy who sneaks out with the wearling during the chaos that opens the novel, drive the narrative, their stories travelling alongside each other. They are different to those around them in the dragon and human worlds. It is through these two characters that we see the flaws in each world, and how each world wishes to think the worst of the other.

D’Lacey’s dragon world, and community has been well thought out, from what a dragon’s colour signifies to the importance of names starting with the letter G, and how taking this away can affect a dragon and their sense of self. As the story unfolds, the two communities begin to collide, and their worlds will never be the same again.

Best suited for ages nine and older, this dragon story uses new and old aspects of dragons to create the world in this story. An intriguing read, and well thought out fantasy world.

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Title: The Hawkweed Prophecy
Author: Irina Brignull
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Publisher: Hachette/Orchard
Published: 14/6/2016
RRP: $16,99
Format: Paperback
Synopsis: A gorgeous, bewitching story of two outcast girls whose lives are twisted by an ancient prophecy. Who will be queen of the witches?

The babies were born as the clock struck twelve. A bat fell from the air mid-flight. A silver salmon floated dead to the surface of the river. Snails withered in their shells, moths turned to dust on the night breeze and an owl ate its young. The spell had been cast.

Poppy Hooper has managed to deceive her father into believing that there is nothing mysterious or unnatural about her. He ignores the cats that find her wherever she goes, the spiders that weave beautiful lacy patterns for her, even her eyes – one blue, one green with an extra black dot orbiting the pupil.

Ember Hawkweed is a pitiful excuse for a witch. When the other girls in her coven brew vile potions, Ember makes soap and perfume. Fair and pretty, Ember is more like a chaff than a witch.

When the two girls meet, Poppy discovers her powers, and finds out the truth. Bound by their unlikely friendship and the boy they both love, the girls try and find their place in the world. But the time of the prophecy draws nearer – and the witches won’t give up the throne without a fight.

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The Hawkweed Prophecy has everything enjoyable about a fantasy book: a prophecy, in this case, two girls unaware of who they really are, their journey to discover this truth and a touch of romance and mystery. Meeting Poppy and Ember was wonderful, and I found myself reading late into the night to find out if they would discover and work out who they really were. The presence of Leo throughout, and his link to the two girls created an excellent mystery feel. Who was he, besides the boy who somehow knew he needed to be with one or both of these girls?
The mystery about the characters and prophecy only deepened towards the end, leading into what I hope will become a promising and much-loved series, along the lines of Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia. When their worlds collided, Poppy and Ember’s friendship and their love for Leo, the love they both held for him, and for the mothers that were theirs but not really theirs, united them in the common goal of finding out who they really were, and where they belonged.
As they teach each other about the world they know and they discover who they really are and which world they really belong to, Ember and Poppy must each deal with their own worries in the worlds they have grown up in, and the approaching prophecy that Ember’s aunt, Raven, is hopeful that her daughter, Sorrell will fulfil and will stop at nothing to prevent Poppy from discovering her true self.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to book two, The Hawkweed Legacy next year, to see where Irina takes us with Ember, Poppy and Leo, and their families.